The South Korean music industry has witnessed numerous successful solo artists who have captivated audiences with exceptional talent and musical prowess. Over the years, various solo artists have released hit albums that have left a lasting impact on the country's music scene. So, if you are interested in knowing about your favorite artists, below are the top 10 most-selling albums by solo artists in South Korea’s history.
1. V – Layover (2,236,119)
Layover is the debut studio album by South Korean singer V of BTS. It was released on 8 September 2023 by Big Hit Music. Layover comprises six songs, including the single "Slow Dancing" and B-sides "Love Me Again", "Rainy Days", "Blue", "For Us", and "Slow Dancing (Piano Ver.)". In October 2023, Layover was nominated for Album of the Year at the upcoming MAMA Awards, while "Love Me Again" was nominated in the Best Vocal Performance – Male Solo and Song of the Year categories. It was nominated for the Million Top 10 at the Melon Music Awards.
2. Jungkook – Golden (2.4 million)
Golden is the debut studio album by South Korean singer Jungkook of BTS, released on November 3, 2023, through Big Hit Music. It features guest appearances by Jack Harlow, Major Lazer, Latto, and DJ Snake. The album entered the charts in twenty-five countries and topped the South Korean, Belgian, French, Lithuanian, and Japanese charts.
3. Jo Sung-mo - Let Me Love (2,072,029)
Jo Sung-mo is a South Korean pop and ballad singer. He was born on was born March 11, 1977. He debuted in 1998 with the album To Heaven and released several of the all-time best-selling albums in South Korea. Let Me Love is a 2000 album by Jo Sung-mo. The album has 13 songs and is in the genres of R&B/Soul, Korean Dance, Pop, Korean ballads, and K-pop.
4. Jo Sung-mo - For Your Soul (2,047,152)
Jo Sung-mo's album of the same name has the song "For Your Soul." On September 9, 1999, the single was made public. The song won many prizes, including the Golden Disc Award for Album of the Year, Golden Disc Award, Golden Video Actor/Actress Award, and many more.
5. Yoo Jae-Ha - Because I Love You (2,000,000)
Yoo Jae-ha was a famous singer and songwriter from South Korea. On June 6th, 1992, he entered the world. On November 1, 1987, he was killed in an automobile crash. Three months before his untimely death, South Korean singer and composer Yoo Jae-ha released his debut studio album, Because I Love You, on August 20, 1987 via Seoul Records. The album received little media attention due to the anachronistic musical style and vocal technique, which were considered strange.
6. Byun Jin-sub - Back To You (2,000,000)
Byun Jin-sub is a South Korean singer. He was born on 19 May 1966. Back to You is a song by Byun Jin-sub. It was released on October 25, 1989, and is in the pop genre. The song is included on the album Back To You Again. It made Byun the only Korean singer to win the New Artist Award and the Golden Disc Award in the same year.
7. Jimin – FACE (1,691,364)
Face is the debut studio album by South Korean singer Jimin BTS. it was Released on March 24, 2023, through Big Hit Music. Set Me Free Pt. 2 was released ahead of the album on March 17, 2023. Its title bears intentional similarity to "Set Me Free" by BTS bandmate Suga from his 2020 mixtape D-2, though neither song is connected to the other. Like Crazy was released alongside the album as its second single on March 24. In Japan, the album debuted at number one on the daily Oricon Albums Chart, with 222,120 copies sold on March 24, 2023. Face debuted at number two in the United States.
8. Suga - D-Day (1,364,048)
D-Day is the debut studio album by South Korean rapper Agust D, also known as Suga of BTS. It was released on April 21, 2023, through Big Hit Music. It is the third trilogy of the other two mixtapes, Agust D and D2. According to the Hanteo Chart, D-Day sold 1,072,311 copies worldwide on its first day, surpassing the record previously set by Jimin of BTS, who sold 1,021,532 copies of his debut solo album Face on its release day in March. Agust D became the second Korean solo artist in Hanteo Chart history, after Jimin, to surpass one million first-day sales.
9. J-Hope - Jack In The Box (1,124,444)
South Korean rapper J-Hope of BTS made his Big Hit Music album debut on July 15, 2022 with the release of Jack in the Box. It comprises 10 tracks, including the main hit, More, Arson, and many other vintage songs. On March 2, 2018, J-Hope dropped Hope World, his debut solo mixtape. It reached number 38 on the US Billboard 200, making him the most successful Korean solo artist of all time. Jack in the Box sold 2,439 copies in its first three days of release in Japan, placing it at #2 on Oricon's weekly Digital Albums Chart for the week of July 11-17, 2022.
10. Jin - The Astronaut (1,040,155)
Kim Seok-jin, stage name Jin, is a member of the South Korean boy band BTS and a singer/songwriter. Released as his first solo effort on October 28, 2022, "The Astronaut" is by South Korean singer Jin of BTS. Songwriters for the track include Jin and Coldplay, the British rock band who worked with BTS on "My Universe." The Astronaut peaked at #2 on the Oricon Daily Digital Singles chart in Japan with 3,620 downloads after entering at #4. With 4.9 million domestic streams and 44,000 downloads sold in its first tracking week, The Astronaut became Jin's first solo entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, appearing in the issue of the chart dated November 12, 2022).
